This is the first thing I've ever posted by request. I received an email to
the effect of "Hey, that autographed
MK magazine you have, is it the one with the actor bios and if so could
you scan it?" I replied "Nope, that's a different issue
which I also have, I swear I don't collect that magazine" and I truly
don't collect old issues of VideoGames magazines, these are literally the
only two I own.

I don't entirely recall why I have this issue at all. I can only assume I
held onto it with the intention of scanning and posting it someday. Then
again, in 1994 I didn't have an internet connection (nor did 99% of the
population). My first internet account was in 1995 and it came with a free
2mb personal web page. Ah yes, a simpler time when I could keep a copy of my
entire site on a 3.5" disk. Anyway, I have no idea why I kept this,
none at all. I was pretty hooked on Mortal Kombat II back then, maybe I
thought I'd read the bios again. How it didn't get tossed in the four moves
I've had since 1994 is also a puzzle. Whatever the case, I kept the magazine and
here are the scans:

Before the bios there was a strategy guide. I figured I'd throw that
in for fun. I didn't know (or maybe remember) that the "Dead Pool
fatality" wasn't introduced until version 3.

I think I'll offer some of my own strategy... I used to regularly
play against someone who had some amazing moves with Kung Lao. The only character that stood a chance was Scorpion who is
a strong counter to Kung Lao.
Liu Kang
was a frequent choice for annoying players who liked to play keep away by
throwing a steady stream of fireballs. If you ever encounter one of
those, Mileena is the perfect counter. Johnny Cage, on the other hand,
is terrible in 1:1 games.

Shang Tsung is my personal favorite if I'm trying to play through the
tournament. He's a strong choice in 1:1 matches too. Sub-Zero isn't a
bad choice but is much weaker than the version in the original Mortal
Kombat. Reptile was the biggest disappointment in this game. In a 1:1
match, Scorpion and Sub-Zero are both better choices than Reptile unless
you are incredibly good at playing while invisible.

Kitana and Mileena quickly became my favorites for 1:1 games. The best
players I faced were all experts with both. Jax is another favorite of
annoying players, the ones who use the ground pound as a lame keep away
move. As with Liu Kang, Mileena is the best counter for these chumps.

Baraka and Raiden are both weak 1:1 characters. Baraka is very popular
with beginners because his moves are so easy (and gory). However, a minimally
decent Liu Kang player can shred Baraka easily. I've played some who try
to abuse Raiden by teleporting rapidly and flailing on the low punch
button. It's super annoying but easy enough to escape with Scorpion's
shadow punch or counter with Liu Kang's low fireball. Scorpion is a great 1:1 character,
he's usually my go-to guy when facing someone new. He can counter a wide
range of moves and has no glaring weaknesses. After learning an
opponent's style I may try someone different, but he's perfect for that
first match-up.

For all the hours I've logged on Mortal Kombat II, I've never played
Pong... fought Jade and Smoke enough times though.

OK, so here's what you probably came for, the behind the scenes article.
Hey look at that! A contest to win an autographed copy of the magazine
I have (although signed by the entire cast instead of the two I have).

First up is Daniel Pesina who plays Cage and all the ninjas. This
article mentions him being in negotiations for an upcoming movie, unfortunately
the producers opted not to use any of the real Mortal Kombat cast
members.

Next is Ho Sung Pak who plays Liu Kang. I'm guessing this Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret of the Ooze movie must have been filmed in
Chicago since several of the actors appear in it. Why does every movie
set in Chicago have to contain the obligatory shot of the
"L" in the background? No matter how forced, they always
manage to have a scene involving it.

On to Richard Divisio.. that original Baraka mask looks like
Shrek to me.

Carlos Pesina is the next page. That Kintaro model is awesome,
that would be a dream item for my collection.

I missed
Katalin Zamiar at UIC by about seven years. So far every one of these actors has
either finished college or is in the process of doing so. There's the
lesson for today kids, stay in school...

...just like Philip Ahn M.D. did. According to a quick search he is practicing medicine in
Chicago or possibly L.A. today. Turns out his name is more common than I
expected. Either he can grow facial hair at
will or the goatee is fake.

The bio for Anthony Marquez is a little on the light side. The
interesting thing on this page is the reference to another character
that was cut from the game. Much like Dr. Ahn's goatee, I suspect some
of these screenshots are fake too. Check out the "Kung Lao
Wins" one on this page.

The original Jax costume they had John Parrish in was truly
atrocious. It looks like a banana suit. They must have the height stats
wrong in here. They talk about needing to digitally shorten Jax but they
have him listed as only 2" taller than Daniel Pesina.
Seeing them next to each other I think that's off by a bit.

Bonus Round

Since I was already scanning the magazine, I thought I'd add a few extras I
found interesting.

Here's a blurb about the Sanyo 3DO which was only released in Japan.

Here's a review of Dynastic Hero. I only added it so I could rant about
not wasting money on buying the Wii Virtual Console version. Don't get
me wrong, I am thrilled they're releasing TG-16
CD games that were only available in Japan for it. I bought Dynastic
Hero as some kind of show of support. However, it is not as good as the
Genesis version that is also available. I guess the soundtrack is a
little better but the Genesis one has much better graphics and a more reasonable
difficulty level. Meanwhile, Ys IV is collecting virtual dust.

I included this because I'm a huge Phantasy Star fan. It's a page
previewing some Japanese RPGs that might make it to America. The battle
scene from Matenno Sometsu reminds me of Miracle Warriors. First Queen
looked like a good game until I saw it was produced by Culture Brain.